The effect of the Syrian crisis on electricity supply and the household life in North-West Syria: a university-based study

This study analysed the current situation of access to electricity in Northwestern Syria. Using a household survey [N=136], a questionnaire with generator owners [N=8] and interviews with academics [N=2] in Idlib and Azaz regions of Syria, the research revealed that electricity generation has become nearly entirely dependent on the private sector and the expenditure on electricity increased by 82 percent, limiting the availability of electricity mostly between 2 and 10 hours per day

Неоадъювантная гормонотерапия бикалутамидом 150 мг перед проведением радикальных методов лечения у больных локализованным и местно-распространенным раком предстательной железы

Hormonal therapy of prostate cancer is the method of choice in patients who can not be treated radically. For patients with locally advanced renal cancer the monotherapy with bicalutamide can be used as an alternative to castration.In our study we tried to determine the degree of decrease of prostate gland volume and level of prostate specific antigen in the serum after therapy with 150 mg of bicalutamide per day. Besides, we also attempted to clarify whether preoperative or pre-radiation hormonal therapy with bicalutamide in the dose of 150 mg per day increases the time interval to clinical progression.After hormonal therapy we observed considerable decrease of level of prostate specific antigen in the serum. Mean volume of prostate gland also has significantly diminished in comparison to pretreatment state.The results of our study have demonstrated that therapy with bicalutamide can be an alternative approach to maximal androgenic blockage. As well, it can be used in neoadjuvant setting as hormonal therapy before radical treatment in patients with localized and locally advanced prostate cancer.

To defer or not to defer? A German longitudinal multicentric assessment of clinical practice in urology during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction After the outbreak of COVID-19 unprecedented changes in the healthcare systems worldwide were necessary resulting in a reduction of urological capacities with postponements of consultations and surgeries. Material and methods An email was sent to 66 urological hospitals with focus on robotic surgery (RS) including a link to a questionnaire (e.g. bed/staff capacity, surgical caseload, protection measures during RS) that covered three time points: a representative baseline week prior to COVID-19, the week of March 16th-22nd and April 20th-26th 2020. The results were evaluated using descriptive analyses. Results 27 out of 66 questionnaires were analyzed (response rate: 41%). We found a decrease of 11% in hospital beds and 25% in OR capacity with equal reductions for endourological, open and robotic procedures. Primary surgical treatment of urolithiasis and benign prostate syndrome (BPS) but also of testicular and penile cancer dropped by at least 50% while the decrease of surgeries for prostate, renal and urothelial cancer (TUR-B and cystectomies) ranged from 15 to 37%. The use of personal protection equipment (PPE), screening of staff and patients and protection during RS was unevenly distributed in the different centers\u2013however, the number of COVID-19 patients and urologists did not reach double digits. Conclusion The German urological landscape has changed since the outbreak of COVID-19 with a significant shift of high priority surgeries but also continuation of elective surgical treatments. While screening and staff protection is employed heterogeneously, the number of infected German urologists stays low

Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy with bicalutamide 150 mg before radical treatment in patients with localized and locally advanced prostate cancer

Hormonal therapy of prostate cancer is the method of choice in patients who can not be treated radically. For patients with locally advanced renal cancer the monotherapy with bicalutamide can be used as an alternative to castration.In our study we tried to determine the degree of decrease of prostate gland volume and level of prostate specific antigen in the serum after therapy with 150 mg of bicalutamide per day. Besides, we also attempted to clarify whether preoperative or pre-radiation hormonal therapy with bicalutamide in the dose of 150 mg per day increases the time interval to clinical progression.After hormonal therapy we observed considerable decrease of level of prostate specific antigen in the serum. Mean volume of prostate gland also has significantly diminished in comparison to pretreatment state.The results of our study have demonstrated that therapy with bicalutamide can be an alternative approach to maximal androgenic blockage. As well, it can be used in neoadjuvant setting as hormonal therapy before radical treatment in patients with localized and locally advanced prostate cancer

Cultural trauma and the politics of access to higher education in Syria

This paper takes interest in the relationship between the politics of HE access pertaining to longstanding practices of patrimonial authoritarian politics and between the narration of collective trauma. Building on an empirical study of Syrian HE during war, we suggest that a narrative disjuncture within HEIs has a damaging impact not only upon the educational process, HE reconstruction and reform but also upon the very possibility of social reconciliation. This is especially true when access to education and post-graduation opportunities are directly linked with patrimonial favouritism; widespread social inequalities in access and retention; a violent turn in the purging of oppositional academics; a severely exacerbated brain drain linked to political views; and significantly sparser employment opportunities. Building on the study findings we show how these challenges are linked to ethico-political positioning vis-à-vis the mass movement of 2011 and related cultural trauma narratives. In closing we suggest that understanding the relationship between HE access and cultural trauma, and the mechanisms of power and narrative reproduction resultant from the politicisation of HE access in such contexts, can inform decision-making on HE reconstruction and future reform, as well as further research on HE under dictatorship and conflict, in important ways.British Council and SOROS foundation to Council for At Risk Academic

Lessons learned after one year of COVID-19 from a urologist and radiotherapist view: A German survey on prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, COVID-19 has changed the medical landscape. International recommendations for localized prostate cancer (PCa) include deferred treatment and adjusted therapeutic routines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To longitudinally evaluate changes in PCa treatment strategies in urological and radiotherapy departments in Germany, a link to a survey was sent to 134 institutions covering two representative baseline weeks prior to the pandemic and 13 weeks from March 2020 to February 2021. The questionnaire captured the numbers of radical prostatectomies, prostate biopsies and case numbers for conventional and hypofractionation radiotherapy. The results were evaluated using descriptive analyses. RESULTS: A total of 35% of the questionnaires were completed. PCa therapy increased by 6% in 2020 compared to 2019. At baseline, a total of 69 radiotherapy series and 164 radical prostatectomies (RPs) were documented. The decrease to 60% during the first wave of COVID-19 particularly affected low-risk PCa. The recovery throughout the summer months was followed by a renewed reduction to 58% at the end of 2020. After a gradual decline to 61% until July 2020, the number of prostate biopsies remained stable (89% to 98%) during the second wave. The use of RP fluctuated after an initial decrease without apparent prioritization of risk groups. Conventional fractionation was used in 66% of patients, followed by moderate hypofractionation (30%) and ultrahypofractionation (4%). One limitation was a potential selection bias of the selected weeks and the low response rate. CONCLUSION: While the diagnosis and therapy of PCa were affected in both waves of the pandemic, the interim increase between the peaks led to a higher total number of patients in 2020 than in 2019. Recommendations regarding prioritization and fractionation routines were implemented heterogeneously, leaving unexplored potential for future pandemic challenges